Oh, man… it’s not so easy doing this morning news headline thing, when some of the most tempting news stories aren’t really news after all.
Take for example, Dino Rossi’s “long-expected” campaign kickoff. The Seattle P-I headline trumpets “Rossi back on the campaign trail.” But was he ever off it? Um… no. As the Seattle Times points out, “the overarching theme of Rossi’s hourlong speech was retreaded from his 2004 campaign”… you know the same retreaded speech he’s been giving throughout the state for the past year or so.
So not exactly news, unless, of course, you’re Postman: “I have to admit to thinking the chances were 50-50.” Uh-huh.
Know what else isn’t news? Rossi’s campaign theme, which includes (SURPRISE!) cutting taxes!
“[Gov. Gregoire] has since raised taxes on gas, many families who have lost loved ones, and in other sectors.”
Sure, you betcha… voters are gonna be awfully damn pissed off about those gas and estate taxes that they, um, you know… overwhelmingly approved at the polls.
Yeah, it’s not gonna be so easy for Rossi in 2008 because this time around I’m guessing reporters are actually going to ask him actual questions about where he actually stands on actual issues. Like SCHIP. The US House just passed the Children’s Health Insurance Program a second time, though not by a large enough margin to override a second promised presidential veto. In an email to supporters today, Gov. Chris Gregoire makes no bones about where she stands on extending health care to over 4 million children, and defending WA’s gains against President Bush’s “draconian measures.”
Let me be crystal clear about one thing regarding these threats from George W. Bush and the Republicans: I won’t back down.
Earlier this month, I joined with a group of fellow governors to fight back against this irresponsible Bush policy in the federal courts. And I will continue to work closely with the members of our delegation in Washington, DC to make sure we deliver for the children of our state.
As your governor, I have fought for and expanded health care access to an additional 84,000 children – and here in Washington we are on track to provide access to health care for every single child in Washington by 2010.
This fight over children’s health care represents a fundamental difference in values that will define the choice in the upcoming election. George W. Bush and the Republicans’ priorities put them squarely outside the mainstream in our state.
We’re doing right by Washington’s children, and as governor I won’t back down.
I guess this is what Rossi means when he talks about Gregoire being “the governor for the government, not the governor for the people,” because you know… children aren’t people. (Unless they’re fetuses.)
When a governor speaks this boldly and this bluntly, that’s news, whereas the fact that the moon is big and fishing is catching on as a college sport, is not. Also not in the news today is NBA commissioner David Stern criticizing Seattle as heartless for not throwing half a billion dollars at the Sonics’ Oklahoma City owners, nor Bush leading us inexorably toward war with Iran. Whereas very, very rich people spending enormous sums of money on luxury travel, well, that always deserves a front page story. Who knew?
Jeez. You’d think that two years would be plenty of time for Dino to concoct a new speech. Even the ‘ideas’ of Lou Guzzo seem not to have helped. This is what the state GOP calls leadership?
You gotta’ be kidding.
Back to the spellchecker, Goldy. You misspelled “retarded.”
You had to read the News Tribune to find out that Rossi is even more out of touch with voters on transportation than the reporting that says he doesn’t support the improvements udnerway from the gas tax:
“In an exchange with reporters, Rossi said he is leaning toward voting for Tim Eyman’s latest anti-tax initiative while leaning against supporting Puget Sound’s massive highways and transit measure.”
Rossi offering something new? Give us a break. He’s offering more Tim Eyman and more Kemper Freeman. And they’re getting old.
We really need to be following Rossi around with a camera. I would love to see an ad with Gregoire taking fir stands on important issues, such as transportation, the environment, and children’s health care, while Rossi doges questions and refuses to answer. Make Gregoire look like leader and Rossi look like an amateur car salesman.
Hell the very fact that he is somewhat undecided on a plan that has been in the works for FIVE years, two weeks before the election is telling enough.
I hear that Gregoire actually soiled herself when Rossi’s long-awaited announcement came.
I doubt any of the press will ask Rossi about any of the real issues facing our state, or country. Global warming, outsourcing, the deficit, tax reduction for the wealthy and passing on debt to their kids with interest, Americans losing ground to inflation, completely deregulated banks setting up a boom and bust in the housing market, bankruptcy due to medical problems, the war, the war, the war, and the war.
Someone ask him if he thinks Al Queda is in Iran……
They are going to ask him general questions, and he will answer with rhetoric, and they will not follow up, and ask him to actually answer any “real” question. All that rhetoric sounds good if you never have to point out who gets stepped on….
Dino Rossi. The only fraud in the 2004 governor’s race…..
John425: Your political views are “soil” in themselves.
The people of this State have learned their lesson: this real-estate hack and clown will be thoroughly rejected at the polls along with the rest of that utterly corrupt and morally bankrupt R party.
Re-elect Dino for governor.
John425, I knew she was laughing, but I didn’t realize that hard.
Dino, why don’t you go to Iraq and find them WMD’s! We will spend 1.9 TRILLION looking for imaginary WMD’s, and borrow it all from Red China. Tax cuts! Tax cuts! Borrow! Borrow! Borrow! Wahoooooooooooooo!
Dino, what have you to say about the firing of your buddy McKay? He didn’t tow the party line hard enough?
Dino, what do you think Satteburg should do when Rove’s hatchlings call him to target a democrat for being a democrat? Ask him to not prosecute a Republiconvict because they are a Republiconvict?
Wisconsin : http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/003075.php
Alabama: http://www.nytimes.com/package.....mpson1.pdf
Dino, what have you to say about the crime of Treason?
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/....._1026.html
So what is your platform? Gay bashing, hate mongering, saber rattling, fear mongering, hypocrisy, claiming fake values, tax cuts for the ruling class, or just plain lying? One, or all of the above?
This is war, and all Republicons are America’s enemy. (until they clean up their sickening party)
So Dino, you have anything to say about the doubling of our national debt? Losing our place in the world? Torture? Waterboarding? Wiretapping Washingtonians without warrants? The sinking dollar?
When it comes to issues, Rossi better run like hell!
The Democrat lie about SCHIP.
The current administration favors RE-AUTHORIZATION of the SCHIP program.
That means that children in need get the coverage and benefits they need right now.
Democrats are intent on Ballooning the SCHIP budget in an attempt to “backdoor” gov funded healthcare…..
Why else define “children” as those who are 25 years old?
can’t claim that 25 year old as a child on your federal taxes?
Families in “need” who earn up to $80K per year…..?
Well that puts them in the top 25% of AGI wage earners in the country…
The reality is that if congress were to “RE-AUTHORIZE” SCHIP, children who truly need the benefit could get it…
Democrats once again, with the willing spin miesters of the media, try to blame the current adminstration for their own failed ambitions.
The current administration favors RE-AUTHORIZATION of the SCHIP program… at a funding level that would not meet the program’s *current* needs.
You forgot that last part. You’re welcome.
At least Dino Rossi has some good political savvy and party loyalty. Rossi is very clear and enthusiastic in supporting the entire Republican ticket this year — Dan Satterberg for prosecuting attorney, and Bob Edwards and Bill Bryant for port of seattle commission. Rossi has even recently decided to endorse Jane Hague — AFTER her drunk driving arrest, fake college degree, and campaign finance violations became public.
This is politically wise for Rossi. All four of these Republicans supported Rossi in 2004, and they will be supporting Rossi again in 2008. A very smart move to get Republicans into office in King County, where Rossi was heavily outpolled in 2004 and needs to gain ground in 2008 if he wants to have a prayer of getting elected.
Where is Christine Gregoire? Gregoire is dissing the entire King County Democratic ticket this year, and is not supporting a single Democratic candidate in any of the Democrat vs. Republican races this year. Gregoire has not taken a public position on the Port of Seattle races. (In 2005, Gregoire supported Republican Pat Davis over Democrat Jack Jolley.) In the prosecuting attorney race, Gregoire’s personal lawyer, Democrat bigwig Jenny Durkan, is supporting Satterberg — something which sends the signal that Gregoire herself would prefer Satterberg over Bill Sherman, but dares not take a public position on the matter.
If Gregoire wants to blow off the entire Democratic ticket this year, she should not expect to have such strongly enthusiastic support from Democrats in King County next year. Especially with Republican office holders strongly in control of the prosecuting attorney office and port of seattle commission at the county-wide level supporting Rossi. It would be much better to focus on the election of a solid Democrat for President, and getting a solid Democrat (Darcy Burner) to defeat Dave Reichert for Congress.
Democrats need to tell Christine Gregoire — SUPPORT YOUR PARTY IN KING COUNTY! Don’t take our support for granted! We have the chance to get a Democratic prosecuting attorney for the first time in 60 years. And we have a choice between a solid progressive majority on the port commission, or a solid Republican majority. Christine, where are you?
So wrong stuff. Which Americans do not deserve affordable health care? Please name them…..
That way we will know which Americans should vote for Democrat(s) 100%.
90 million Americans went without health insurance in the last 2 years. Even with insurance, you will probably go bankruptcy if you get sick.
So wrong stuff, if you were diagnosed with cancer, you would be the first in line demanding treatment, regardless of the cost, and who picks up the tab right? Say it isn’t so. You would willingly die so I could save a few $$ on my tax cuts right?
Tell me I’m wrong.
If you think the blowout on ’06 was bad, wait till 100 Republiconvicts get kicked out of congress in ’08, and we get a Dem in the White House, and begin to fumigate our government with filibuster proof super majorities.
The “values voters” are starting to figure out their values are Democratic values, not the values of the hate mongerers, and the 12 year old attackers. SChIPS is only one thing. You can count on Bush urinating on the constitution for the next year, and the GOP backing him up on every drop. If they can’t scare us, they got nothing.
not meet the program’s *current* needs.
*Current* needs in donk speak is insuring 24 year old kids. A moonbat will never give you the entire truth.
Anytime you hear a donk say “current needs” they are hiding something. hehehehe
@14
If you believe so, then why don’t your congressional democrat representatives put forth a national health care bill?
At least put it on the table in an honest way.
Instead democrats try to “backdoor” socialized healthcare by messing with SCHIP.
@12
So the funding for current needs includes “children” age 25? and families earning $80K?
Sorry. The current administration added funds to the budget to cover “current” beneficiaries, not a socialized health care debacle that is the democrat SCHIP bill.
Healthcare is not a right. I don’t find it in the constitution.
Affordable healthcare is a great goal. Competition is the way to lowering costs.
Big Mouth Fraudoire wants ALL children to be enrolled in taxpayer-funded insurance- Gee, let’s give the Gates children a free ride at the expense of some inner city kids!
Better still: Shall we enroll Rossi’s kids on Gregoire’s plan?
@12
Bush blah blah blah blah
President Bush is not running in 2008. Please continue to campaign against him…
“The “values voters” are starting to figure out their values are Democratic values,”
Ha. Like the mother of all tax increases put forward yesterday? How about the dream act? keep trying that value on for size….Socialized healthcare????? bring it on…
Right Stuff @ 17 says:
There is no competition, you lying sack of shit. There are only price-fixing cartels ratcheting up the cost of drugs and health care higher and higher, with not only no oversight, but with the active support, of the Republican scum that you vote for.
@13…AYM…
BTW…thanks again for re-publishing my views on annexation…
So, the Governess isn’t toeing your version of the party line, both literally and figurativly? Will, I’m sure she’ll be appropriately chagrined to hear this and will, of course bow and scrape to your politically inspired wisdom!
Her enthusiastic support for His Popiness, Richard XI (soon to be XII), will have her straight away waving one of his signs at an I-405 onramp in Bellevue. Pimp that Pope, Chrissie!
And she will, of course, discharge from state employment anyone who’s ever so much as entertained the thought of supporting someone other than the Popemustard or any other similarly situated.
Ever thought about quitting your day job to become a campaign or political PR consultant? Maybe take Farts/Facts with you to develop positive, winning, consensus-oriented campaign strategies targeted at swing and soft-voting Republicans?
You do have a problem, however…Not even the Democratic Pary supports all KC Democratic candidates for office. You do understand that this is a dilemma that you should address.
Will you soon be heard castigating the KC Democratic organization for it’s hypocrisy, Rovian neo-con treachery, and SCHIP-betrayal equivalence in not orgasmicly engaging in a political cliPopemax akin to what’s seen here among the true believers who, aside from Bro. Darryl and CHURLISH Chad, have yet to send Poor Richard nickel one?
Money talks, B.S. walks…
But you have to realize that with an asthmatically gasping approval rating of a scant 53%, for the Govimpersonater to take your advice would be like her taking healthcare advice from Jack Kervorkian. Take 100 of these pills, and don’t worry about calling me in the morning…you’ll be dead.
BTW…you mention Darcy the Blonde…Since the 8th Congressional District encompasses most, if not all, the 6th Councilmanic District, will you soon be heard ripping her a new one for her lack of support for all Democrats running in King County? Coupled with your threat to withold support? Hmmm???
Or would you rather get a distemper shot then take a nap?
The Piper
Rossi won’t win in 2008 because the Republicans have done such a wonderful job of self-destructing nationally. People will remember Randy Cunningham, Larry Craig, that Foley guy from Florida, and they’ll reject the Republicans no matter what office is at stake.
The length of the Iraq adventure is also playing against the Republicans. They made the mistake of committing troops without a plan to win and get out. Hangin’ out in Iraq for 50 years is not an option Americans are willing to endure.
So, I guess we’ll be stuck with the dumbass Democrats for a few years before the electorate gets fed up with their ineptitude. I’m not very opimistic about the next dacade as far as politics go.
Right Stuff:
Keep repeating “socialized healthcare”. Meanwhile, let me give you two numbers.
$54/month. This was what I paid in BC for the Medicare Services Program. This provided access to a doctor any time I wanted, secondary specialist care, etc. No copay, no drugs, no vision, no dental through the evil government-funded socialized medicine system. You can’t buy catastrophic insurance that cheaply in the US.
$200/month. This is what I would have paid for automotive insurance through the evil, government-operated BC insurance company. (I’m 38, and have a clean driving record. No accidents, no tickets in living memory. I drive a pretty modest car because I don’t throw money at depreciating assets. Ever.).
Do I think MSP is run better than the car insurance company? No. I have no reason to believe that.
So, given that government health insurance can provide coverage for $50 and change while the government car insurance program charges over twice what I would pay in the US, just how much value for money is our “competitive” private insurance providing us?
@14 – “90 million Americans went without health insurance in the last 2 years.”
Uh, 45 million uninsured this year and 45 million uninsured last year don’t add together.
And since you did say “Americans” and, by definition, Mexicans illegally residing in America aren’t Americans…
The total the number of uninsured Americans is more like 18 million. (Google results say about 60% of the uninsured PEOPLE in America aren’t here legally.)
I see that Piper has come here when it got too hot for him in the “Embers” thread.
Run away, Piper. Run Away, Run away.
@23 – Just don’t get cancer or you’re F’ed.
The sum and substance of Dino the Dim’s policy platform: “I really, really want to be governor.”
Politically Incorrect @ 22:
Rossi won’t win in 2008 because the Republicans have done such a wonderful job of self-destructing nationally.
If it was just a question of a few rotten apples, that would be surmountable. Frankly, I think the Republican Party, and particularly the Republican Party of Washington has gone insane.
You have a shrill party which panders to intelligent design advocates, fundamentalist Christians, fairly blatant racists, and every nut case in the state who has read only one book in their life and didn’t understand that one very well. On the economic side, the enthusiasm for tax cuts has gone so far that we had to quarter-dive to pay for basic services. Schools, roads, law enforcement, and fire are all services the government is in the business of providing, unless you’re too far off the deep end to know up from down. All have been underfunded.
At the same time, the Federal government has been giving away tax money like mad to farmers (not here), steel companies (largely not here), security companies (not here), and defense companies (OK. Here. We got one) Preaching “fiscal discipline” while money was flying every which way except, well, here.
Although I’m not a Republican and probably never will be, having a single-party government of either party is intrinsically unhealthy. Look what a few years of unbridled power did to the GOP.
I’m not always enthused with the Democrats (would you be?), but the GOP is completely unelectable in its current condition. Kick the fundies and the “States’ Rights” people to the curb. Thank Grover Norquist for his services and bring in some grownup conservatives who want government to run cheaply and efficiently rather than having some pipe dream of destroying it completely.
delbert @ 26:
Only in right-wing radio land.
Most people who get Cancer North of 49 survive just fine. It’s kind of a bitch having chemotherapy done in an igloo, but survivable just the same.
Do any of you guys ever, actually, you know, GO to Canada or talk with people that live there? It’s 120 miles away. It’s not like it’s on the other side of the world or there’s razor wire on the border to keep the poor, oppressed Canadians locked inside.
(and no, I don’t think that Canadian single-payer medicine is the be all end all. There are some very serious problems with it which should not be brought to the US. I am pointing out how much money is being picked from your pocket for absolutely nothing).
So…Geov…I take it you’re indifferent on the Sonics situation? Don’t think it’s that big a deal or newsworthy?
Ditto fishing (don’t tell that to steelheaders up at Rieter Ponds on the Sky)?
Speaking of sports…I didn’t know there was a professional Lacrosse league until hearing about the settlement of a multi-week labor dispute that shut down the season. Apparently Portland has a team? That it isn’t reported in Seattle’s MSM should be no cause for concern since nothing in, about, because of, for, or associated with Portland is news.
Curious…do we share an opinion that bidding the Sonics adieu would be an enormous yawn? And that the only appropriate public expenditure on their behalf would be for cardboard boxes, tape, and a couple Sharpies with which to write “Okie Soncis C/O Clay Bennett, Oklahoma City, OK?”
Okie Squatch…doesn’t that sound like something that will be on many Thanksgiving tables? With a little butter and brown sugar?
Or are their rabid partisans who ache to spend millions for new millionaire playpens?
The Piper
Goldy, Chadt et al,
When will you give Richard any money and/or ask Burner to endorse him? Never. Thought so. Because deep down in places you don’t like to talk about you know he’s a crypto fascist and are only shilling for him in here because its costless and will have no impact on his ultimate defeat.
Piper @ 30:
Curious…do we share an opinion that bidding the Sonics adieu would be an enormous yawn? And that the only appropriate public expenditure on their behalf would be for cardboard boxes, tape, and a couple Sharpies with which to write “Okie Soncis C/O Clay Bennett, Oklahoma City, OK?”
Let me be the first to say that spending government money to buy boxes, tape and Sharpies for multi-millionaires is wrong, wrong, wrong!
Otherwise, you’re right on.
@31…HAH…
Chad T. has given money to His Popiness, Richard XI (soon to be XII). So has that august and learned academic, Bro. Darryl. You can learn all about their contributions, totallying approximately $125.25 (assuming for sake of argument the truth of Chad T.’s latest claim to have sent Poor Richard another $50) by going to http://www.pdc.wa.gov/servlet/ContribServlet and searching the database. Make sure you do it for Pope, Richard L., Jr., not merely Pope, Richard L.
His campaign is so juvenile and cash-anemic you have to wonder whether it qualifies for SCHIP help in its own right. Research rich Richard should get right on that.
The Piper
@32…JSA on BH…
Then would you object if we took up a private collection? And with leftover funds, bought any of them who need it a one-way bus ticket to OK City?
Each season, I hunger for them not to make the playoffs so they’ll disappear that much quicker from public view.
The Piper
Piper @ 34:
A private collection? It’s your money, go nuts!
I might even be inclined to toss in a tenner for that.
So since S-CHIP came up here and there’s been a lot of overblown rhetoric around it I decided to educate myself on the facts of the issue. Here is my report:
The best (as in laying out the facts without the loaded words) source of information I found was here (Kaiser Family Foundation). This resource really describes the current S-CHIP program and CHIPRA (the program Congress passed and the Prez vetoed). Highly recommended for those who want more than the partisan spin (on either side).
Highlights:
About the current S-CHIP program it says,
About coverage for adults:
About the recipients:
About eligibility:
Can people eligible for S-CHIP afford private insurance? (There is a lot written about this, but here’s the money quote):
What changes with CHIPRA?
There’s lots of information regarding eligibility requirements; to summarize, the “ZOMG it’s Socialized Medicine for everybody” (I’m looking at you, JBD) crowd is wrong. Read it in the original…this is getting too long.
For myself, I think funding this with a cigarette tax is wrong (and here, I’m looking at you The Wealthy). That said, 35 billion bucks over 5 years is relative peanuts, especially in light of the fact that these folks would not get insurance on their own and would thus end up in emergency rooms (unfunded, btw) when they need care.
It’s cheap insurance (hah!) to take care of kids in need.
I’m for it!
-OM
@35…JSA on BH…
Good for you! There’ll be a tuna can next to the steam grate outside the front entrance to the Westlake Nordstrom’s…just drop in the money!
The Piper
I wonder if Dino can name one single thing that the Republiconvicts has made better since taking total control of our government since 2000…..
If I typed for 2 or 3 hours, I could list here all they things that got worse on their watch…..
After reality kicks the Republiconvicts in the face over, and over, and over many of them will finally get fed up with their failed policies, and worthless talking points, and come into the light.
The Dems, and the indies already know the GOP has nothing to offer but lies, spin, fear, hate, and useless rhetoric that does not work in the real world. The dems are far from perfect, and we all have real problems with them, but at least they do not act like the mafia…… Attacking wounded vets, and 12 year olds.
Fells good being on the right side of history.
All Facts Support My Positions.
By the way, things have not gotten any better at Walter Reed…..
@30…Me…
Oops…Just caught that Goldy started the thread, not Geov, whose words of a few days ago about doing a sort-of morning update were stuck in my head.
So…Goldy…Sonics?…Fishing?
Like JSA on BH, put you down for a ten spot to help the Sonic pack and move?
The Piper
@38…Farts/Facts…
How about two things? No President Gore and no President Kerry. Those two things are worth it all by themselves.
The Piper
34:
I never thought I’d say this, and God forgive me………. I agree with Piper. The Sonics can’t leave fast enough. This is not baseball people. This is a carpetbagger owner who bought this team for the express purpose of moving it. He is suing everyone he can find to get out of the lease early so his team can become the Hicksville Good ‘Ole Boys.
It is a case of blackmailing the city in bad faith. Only really rich folks can do that by the way. It is in the rich guy rule book.
I’m not a huge Gregoire fan, but Rossi needs to take a lesson for the Al Gore book, and stay out of the race, and find other ways of spending his time.
@41…Carl…
You mean “basketball people,” correct?
Even if Clay Bennett, Greg Quarters, Ron Sims, and Christine Gregoire were soaping each other down with love and tenderness in a warm shower (close your eyes and imagine the moment), I wouldn’t want a hapenny spent for a new Sonics facility…
Every option floated to date, most recently Renton, has run into something unique in this area: the people united refusing to be defeated and saying, “NO!!!” to any public financing of any sports palaces for BigBuckBoys.
But the “poor” also engage in blackmail and extortion…Ask Ron Sims and the seattle city council about SHARE/WHEEL and how it gets what it wants.
The Piper
Starbuck’s ain’t even going to be peddling coffee at the Sonics games any more. Great fucking job you’ve done for us, Schultz!
Rossi doesn’t believe there is any problem that can’t be fixed by giving rich people a tax break. So, fixing what ails the world won’t take Rossi much time at all.
rooof! porch!
Chad T. has given money to His Popiness, Richard XI (soon to be XII). So has that august and learned academic, Bro. Darryl. You can learn all about their contributions, totallying approximately $125.25 (assuming for sake of argument the truth of Chad T.’s latest claim to have sent Poor Richard another $50) by going to http://www.pdc.wa.gov/servlet/ ContribServlet and searching the database. Make sure you do it for Pope, Richard L., Jr., not merely Pope, Richard L.
****************
You’re probably better off going here:
http://www.pdc.wa.gov/Public/Campaign/Default.aspx
and then selecting “Detailed Contributions to Candidates and Political Committees”
under “Detailed Contributions to Candidates.” Of course, this may not be ChadT (only he can say . . .)
@47…McC…
Since he’s bragged from here to eternity about donating $50.00 then another $50.00, it’s a safe bet that’s our boy!
If it’s not…somebody’s lying, either Chad or Richard XI (soon to be XII).
The Piper
Dino has other rationales to convince voters to elect him governor. One is classic Rossi: “I refuse to look back at the 2004 election. Remember the 2004 election? Well, we won’t be looking back at it, thinking about it, remembering it, bringing it up again, or reminding voters about it. I’ll have more to say on this same subject tomorrow.”
Since he’s bragged from here to eternity about donating $50.00 then another $50.00, it’s a safe bet that’s our boy!
*****************
I didn’t see a second contribution. Chad, you only made one contribution to Pope, isn’t that correct?
Since he’s bragged from here to eternity about donating $50.00 then another $50.00, it’s a safe bet that’s our boy!
**************************
Strange, I only saw the one contribution. ChadT, I thought you’d only contributed the $50 to Pope. That’s correct, right?
“So not exactly news, unless, of course, you’re Postman: ‘I have to admit to thinking the chances were 50-50.'”
Well, there goes Postman’s credibility.
Please don’t talk about things you have no comprehension of. The story about the Moon wasn’t that it was big, it was that it was actually larger in the sky than usual (i.e. closer). This is very interesting, and was historically important for the construction of our ideas about the cosmos. Hipparcos (2nd century BCE) made a huge effort to come up with a model of the solar system, but was defeated by the Moon’s complex motion (including it’s apparent change in size). His failure led to an abandonment of rational attempts to explain the cosmos. (Ptolemy, a few hundred years later, was an anomaly. But even he had given up trying to really explain what was going on, and was also defeated by the Moon and its changing size.) It wasn’t until the 16th century CE that anyone tried again in a significant way.
Studies of the Moon’s distance from Earth continue today, with laser ranging experiments. These show how complicated the Moon’s motion really is.
Is this political news? Of course not. But you know, newspapers report on things other than politics. Hate to break it to you. Could they have explained better why this was interesting? Sure. But it is interesting, and casually dismissing it only shows the depths of your ignorance.
You can’t really blame the PI over the moon pic on the front page. Once a year people seem to go, well, loony
“[Gov. Gregoire] has since raised taxes on gas, many families who have lost loved ones, and in other sectors.”
Rossi isn’t wasting any time; his lying has already started. The state inheritance tax is half of what it was when Gregoire and the Democratic legislature took office.
Here’s how that came about. The statute authorizing the state inheritance tax used language tying it to language in the federal code that subsequently dropped out of the federal statute. The Washington supreme court ruled this invalidated the state tax; so, to keep collecting it, the legislature had to reauthorize it.
In doing so, the governor and legislature raised the exemption and gave estates a tax cut that reduced state inheritance tax revenues by 50% — A MASSIVE TAX CUT for our state’s wealthiest and most undertaxed citizens.
And now, Rossi is bitching about it.
Link didn’t work – here it is
http://news.google.com/news?so.....038;tab=wn
“NBA commissioner David Stern criticizing Seattle as heartless for not throwing half a billion dollars at the Sonics’ Oklahoma City owners”
Isn’t he the guy who fined one of the Sonics’ minority owners A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS for admitting to an Oklahoma newspaper that Bennett planned all along to move the team to Oklahoma? Such a humanitarian!
When leagues, team owners, and athletes get greedy enough, professional sports will become irrelevant, because the communities and fans will walk away in disgust. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re getting there fast.
@50…McC…
In another thread he bragged that he’d just sent the second $50 contribution, and I motivated him to do it, which is fine by me; money down a Popehole as far as I’m concerned.
Additionally, the PDC filings always lag a little behind day-to-day operations. What was sent yesterday won’t show up for a bit.
The Piper
@57…RR…
What would happen if rabbits started getting multi-million dollar contracts? Aren’t rabbits already in professional sports? At dog tracks?
The Piper
Are beefs about the Sonics, fishing, the moon, and Singapore Airlines luxury travel (fascinating reading, BTW, and something Boeing should read since the Airbus plane over which the article gushes competes head-to-head with a version of the 747)rooted in the same thinking that prevents HA from having a comics section?
Oh…wait…I forgot…it does! The postings…99% of which are a laugh riot! Not even a Borscht Belt comedian could come up with this stuff!
The Piper
36 Big revelation: the wingfucks are lying their asses off.
Are you even the least bit surprised?
Piper at 43:
No, I meant baseball. Baseball, to me, is part of Americana, part of our fabric, part of what makes Seattle a world class city.
Basketball just does not have the qualities that make it part of “the American” experience.
This is not baseball, it does not need to be saved. The sooner they are out of town the better. If Clay wants to stay he can pay for his own arena. We have two state of the art stadiums in this city. In thirty years they will probably want to build new facilities to replace them. (Sadly there are no new Fenway Parks, Wrigley Fields or Dodger Stadiums, places that last for several generations). When the time comes, let that generations leaders choose whether or not they value the romance and economic impact of baseball.
For me, for Seattle it seems, we simply can’t pay for another rich mans business office. It does not add the value for the money.
Again, good bye Clay. Call me, I will be happy to print out Mapquest directions to get you out of town via the fast route.
63 “If Clay wants to stay he can pay for his own arena.”
He doesn’t. He never did. He’s more than welcome to go, after the NBA gives him permission (which it sounds like they’re about to do)…and he or they pay off their obligation on the Key Arena lease.
Oh, yeah…after the tremendous compliment the NBA commissioner paid us yesterday, like you betcha I feel like making nice with those jerks. You pluck the chicken while I boil the tar.
@63…Carl…
OK…I went back and re-read your post about “baseball, people.”
I agree in re baseball. So much so, in fact, that I think Americans (to a lesser degree Canadians) are born genetically understanding baseball cards, which did more when I was growing up to teach young boys math, statistics, and a lot of other things than any teacher you can name.
While I’ve never been to Qwest Field (my allegiance to the Seahawks is akin to their record: mediocre), I do think Safeco Field is a great ballpark. My two oldest sons took me there for the first time the Fathers’ Day after it opened. 300 level, but not a bad seat in the house!
Even so…were team owners to come out today, or 30-years from now, and say they needed public money for a replacement park, I’d say, “No way!”
While baseball is, as you say, Americana, much of what made it so has disappeared and continues to disappear. In the beginning, there was no DH, so let it be again. And steroids leading to asterisk-marked records?
I hear some knucklehead wants to bring instant replay video challenges to umpire calls. Is nothing sacred?
But basketball can bugger off.
Don’t bother printing Clay a map…Let him thumb a ride like the public-purse panhandler he is.
The Piper
@50 Paypal says he got 2 from me: 9/30 & 10/24. If he didn’t, he better be talking to Paypal.